The needles of pine trees grow in clusters, which makes them immediately distinguishable from spruce trees. Like spruce needles, the needles of fir trees also grow individually. However, while spruce tree needles are sharply pointed and easy to roll between your fingers, fir needles are flatter, less pointy, and can’t be rolled between your fingers.
The Colorado Spruce is common throughout the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. The Red Spruce, the Black Spruce, and the Blue Spruce are all common varieties that typically grow in the Northeast. The White Spruce and the Norway Spruce are prevalent both in the Northeast and the Northwest. There are also several varieties of spruce that are native to countries in East Asia, Turkey, and areas of Western Europe.
The Colorado spruce grows best in environments that have rich, gravelly soil like the areas around rivers or streams. The Black Spruce typically grows in bogs and swamps, which is why it is also referred to as the Bog Spruce. [4] X Research source The Red Spruce is often found in cool forests alongside other conifers. [5] X Research source The White Spruce tends to grow in moist acidic soil around rivers or streams and often grows around other coniferous hardwood trees. The Norway Spruce can grow in a variety of cooler climates, but flourishes in moist and acidic soils. [6] X Research source
The most common spruces used as Christmas trees are the Colorado Spruce and the White Spruce.
The Colorado Spruce has blue or blue-silver needles that are quite sharp and are ¾ to 1 ½ inches long. The Black Spruce has stubby needles that are only about ½ long. The Red Spruce has yellow-green needles around ½ - 1 inch long that give off the scent of orange rind when they are crushed. [7] X Research source The White Spruce has bluish-green needles that give off an unpleasant scent of skunk when crushed. [8] X Research source The Norway Spruce has dark green needles that are about 1 inch long.
The Colorado Spruce has dark brown cones that are around 2-4 inches long. The Black Spruce has roundish dark-purple cones that are ½ to 1 ½ inches long. The cones grow around the top of the tree. [9] X Research source The Red Spruce has reddish-brown cones that are around 1 ½ inches long and are rough in texture. [10] X Research source The White Spruce has thin cones that are about 1 ¼ to 2 inches in length. Its cones are light brown and very flexible. The Norway Spruce has very large distinctive cones that grow about 4-7 inches and are light brown in color. [11] X Research source
The Colorado Spruce has thin bark that forms in small scales. The bark turns from pale grey to brown as the tree ages. The Black Spruce has thin, scaly bark that is dark green-brown in color. [12] X Research source The Red Spruce has bark with a reddish hue which is especially visible between the scales of the bark. [13] X Research source The White Spruce has ash-brown, sometimes grayish bark. The Norway Spruce has scaly bark that is a gray-brown. [14] X Research source
The Colorado Spruce has a squat, pyramidal shape. Mature trees grow 70-80 feet tall. The Black Spruce has a narrow shape and often has a stalk-like top, since the branches at the top of the tree are quite short. It grows up to 50-70 feet tall. [16] X Research source The Red Spruce grows straight and tall and is conical in shape/ It grows from 60-80 feet tall. [17] X Research source The White Spruce has a broad base is often somewhat asymmetrical, especially toward the top of the tree. It grows 60-90 feet tall. [18] X Research source The Norway Spruce grows very symmetrically, and often has branches that skim the ground, obscuring the trunk. It typically grows 80-90 feet tall. [19] X Research source
